And Now We Own the Day
by IantojJackh
Summary: Follows We Owned the Night. Did Ianto die or did he manage to survive Canary Wharf? AU Story set pre-series.


**Title**: And Now We Own the Day  
><strong>Author<strong>: iantojjackh  
><strong>Rating<strong>: R-ish  
><strong>Characters<strong>: Team Torchwood  
><strong>Summary<strong>: Follows We Owned the Night. Was that sad ending really the end or is there more of Ianto's story to be told?  
><strong>Word Count<strong>: ~3k  
><strong>SpoilersWarnings**: N/A, but this is very AUish  
><strong>Disclaimer<strong>: See profile  
><strong>Notes<strong>: Written for trope bingo square: Hurt/Comfort. Did you really think I could leave this 'verse alone. Don't forget to let me know what you think. And thank you to tardisjournal for beta-ing the first half of this.

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><p><strong><em>And Now We Own the Day<em>**

Jack felt like screaming and he started to shake as it sunk in that Ianto had chosen him and now he would not know what it felt like to have the alluring Welshman in his arms once more. Now he just had to steel himself for one last thing, visual confirmation that the body was indeed Ianto.

Slowly, Jack moved closer-and started to laugh. "I think you better check the body, that man does not match the picture." The face was similar but Jack knew there was no way the body was Ianto. That meant there was a chance, a very slim one, that Ianto was still alive. There had been about twenty survivors that were sent to a UNIT hospital facility.

"Huh?" Owen looked confused and double-checked the ID and compared the card to the body and they weren't exactly a match. "How did you know? Do you know him or the body?" The doctor first pointed to the body, then to the ID card.

"I know Ianto." Jack left it at that, not caring to elaborate on it until he found out about the Welshman's fate. He had had no idea Ianto worked for Torchwood One and hoped that Ianto was not a mole sent by Yvonne to spy on him. Everything between them had seemed real.

"There's still a chance he could be alive." Owen replied, remembering the crestfallen look on Jack's face when he thought Ianto was dead. It was obvious that Jack's connection to the man was not the least bit professional.

"I'm going to make a call. Continue searching for anything that we don't want to fall into the wrong hands," Jack ordered as he pulled his mobile out. His hands shook slightly and his chest constricted.

"This is Captain Jack Harkness, Torchwood authorization Harkness 43819. I need to know if you have a certain survivor from Canary Wharf... The surname is Jones. First name Ianto... You do? What's his condition?...Do you have a home address for him?...That's okay. Thank you for your help." Jack snapped shut his phone, a relieved smile on his face.

"I take it by your smile that your friend is alive?" Owen inquired as the men made their way out of the building.

"Released from the hospital this morning with a broken left wrist and a little banged up." Jack sighed with some relief. The UNIT person he talked to did not have a home address for Ianto and that worried Jack, but he hoped Ianto's employee file would have that information. Jack took out his phone again and dialled Tosh, the only member to stay in Cardiff, and started to walk away, leaving Owen to continue searching the debris.

Tosh had been waiting nervously but patiently, for any news from London. She had seen video on the news, but knew that as horrible as it looked on the television that it was a hundred times worse in person. He heart skipped a beat when her mobile rang, alerting her that Jack was calling. "Jack! Is everyone all right?"

"We're fine. I need you to do me a favour."

"Sure. What is it?"

"I need you to get into One's personnel files and get me a home address for Ianto Jones, junior researcher."

"Right away boss," Tosh said grimly as she went to work. "How bad is it?"

"Bad. Real bad. Any luck getting me that address?" Jack did not want to talk about what he had seen.

"Almost got it. Is he one of the survivors?" Tosh asked.

"Yes. I just need to ask him a few questions."

"Jack, if the man just went through something like this maybe you should leave him alone." Tosh did not really want to overstep her bounds, but some times Jack did not think things through and the last thing a survivor needed was to be questioned by Jack.

"Thank you for your opinion, but I need that address. Did you find it?" Jack said tersely.

"Yes. I'll send the address to your phone." Tosh said reluctantly, hoping Jack would not inflict any undue emotional distress on the young man.

Jack was too nervous to thank Tosh for the address and he disconnected the call as soon as he had Ianto's address. He did not even hear the sigh of frustration from the woman as he hung up. It was not like him to not boast about a conquest and he had not divulged one bit about his time in the Alps.

Once Jack cleared the building, he ran into Suzie,who was just returning. "Once Owen is finished, you two head back to Cardiff, I've got something to take care of here."

"Do you want us to wait?" Suzie asked, but Jack did not stop for an answer. "Guess not." The woman shrugged as she continued on her way.

Jack walked far enough away from the building so he could hail a taxi to take him to Ianto's flat. It took almost ten minutes to get one and then another twenty minutes to find the building.

Jack took the lift up to the sixth floor and stood in front of Ianto's flat, his hand ready to knock but not quite hitting the metal door. There was no sound coming from the other side and Jack wondered if Ianto was home, and if he was would Ianto even want to see him. And what could he possibly say to someone who had survived the unimaginable.

Jack wondered where his backbone went and finally found the resolve to knock. It was nearly a minute before he heard sounds from the other side and Jack winced when the door opened and he finally saw Ianto for the first time. The Welshman had really taken a beating and he was still in a pair of scrubs from the hospital.

"Jack?" Ianto asked, not certain he was seeing what was in front of him. How had Jack tracked him down and why at this moment? "I'm sorry. I...I was supposed to come see you yesterday but I just got out of the hospital this morning. Something bad happened. Something really, really bad. I'm sure you've seen it all over the news. I should have come earlier. I was going to come and stay for two weeks before I made a permanent decision, but now it's gone. They are all gone." His voice shook as he rambled on, not knowing exactly what to say to Jack, the first familiar and friendly face he had seen in days. The UNIT people had been far from familiar and friendly.

"I know, Ianto. I know." Jack reached out and cupped Ianto's face between his hands. He had no idea now to help the man before him and there was no way to ask if Ianto knew who he really was during those magical five days.

"How did you find me?" Ianto asked throwing his arms around Jack, craving some human contact and comfort.

"Long story." Jack returned the embrace. "How's the wrist?"

"Hurts, but at least I'm alive." Ianto drew a deep breath, not wanting to let go of Jack.

"Yes you are," Jack whispered, placing a kiss into Ianto's hair. "I'm happy for that fact." The Captain shuffled so he could close the door. "I had to see for myself that you were okay."

"I'm not going be okay for long." Ianto paled and looked panicked-stricken. "Maybe you can help when they come." There was a look of true fear on the young man's face. Something worse than two warring alien species had instilled on him.

"What are you talking about? Who's coming?" Jack had no idea what Ianto was talking about so he led the panicked man to the sofa and sat both of them down.

"I heard some of the staff at the hospital talking and they were talking about making the survivors forget what we know. I don't want to forget. I don't want to forget you. I should never have taken this job two years ago. You wouldn't believe the crazy things I've seen. Sometimes I don't believe it," Ianto began to hyperventilate as he worked himself up into a state of distress.

"Shh. It's going to be okay. Nobody is going to take your memories. I won't let them." Jack did all he could to try to calm Ianto down, but he was not having much of an effect. He wanted to strangle whomever in UNIT started the rumours of Retconning survivors. It was not a thought that had ever crossed his mind.

Ianto feverishly shook his head. "No! You don't understand. The organisation I work for, there is another branch...they want us gone. With so few of us left...all it takes is a pill to make us forget. I don't know who they are or what they look like. I don't know when to expect it."

That answered Jack's question of Ianto knowing who he was. There was no way that level of fear could be faked and Ianto obviously was not scared of Jack, but Jack knew he could not tell Ianto just yet that he was one of the people he was so scared of.

"I'm not going to let that happen as long as I'm here. I don't want you to forget me. I'm going to stay for as long as you want me too. No one is going to take your memories. You know you look really really hot in those scrubs?" Jack thought going for the distraction ploy might work.

Ianto rolled his eyes and sighed at Jack. "Are you serious?"

"I'm very serious." Jack leaned in and kissed Ianto. It was a tender but passionate kiss. Like no time had passed since their last kiss.

Ianto pulled away a minute later, his head slightly swimming. "Are you trying to distract me?"

"Is it working?" Jack whispered before nibbling on Ianto's earlobe. At this moment he would probably do just about anything Ianto asked him to do.

"Maybe a little." Ianto said with a hint of a smile as he stood up and took hold of Jack's hand. "Distract me some more," he lightly tugged the willing Captain toward the bedroom.

"It will be my pleasure...well, both our pleasures pretty soon." Jack grinned as he let himself be lead to the bedroom.

An hour later, their naked bodies lay tangled together. Jack's head was on Ianto's chest, listening to his heartbeat. It was steady and strong and its rhythmic beat calmed Jack's fears that Ianto would disappear if he closed his eyes.

"What kind of magic have you worked on me, Ianto Jones?" It had been a long time since Jack had feelings this intense so quickly with someone.

"What do you mean?" Ianto asked as his fingers played with Jack's hair. The fingers on his uninjured hand that was, his casted arm lay next to them.

"Nothing." Jack avoided answering, not wanting to sound too sentimental. "I enjoy being with you. I didn't realise how much I missed you until I thought you were dead." So much for hiding his sentimentality.

"You thought I was dead?" Ianto asked with a confused look. He wondered why Jack believed that. As far as Ianto knew, his name was not listed among the dead or missing.

"For a little while. Someone had your ID badge and your train ticket in the breast pocket of their jacket." Jack knew he could not hide the truth for much longer. As much as Jack wanted to protect the Welshman while he healed, he knew keeping the truth would cause problems the longer he waited.

"I lent Oscar my jacket for a meeting. He spilt a latte on his." Ianto explained, but then realised Jack should not have known that fact. Oscar was on the missing person's list when Ianto checked before leaving the hospital. "Wait! How?"

Jack shifted his body so that Ianto was underneath him, but he propped himself a few inches above the other man to give Ianto some space in case he wanted to get away. "Talk about bad timing to let someone borrow your jacket."

Ianto scowled at Jack. The look quickly turned to fear as Ianto felt like a caged animal, trapped by a seductive hunter. "It's you, isn't it? You are going to make me forget aren't you?"

Jack shook his head. "Those were rumours UNIT spread." The Captain tread carefully, knowing he was in a vulnerable position. One well-placed knee from Ianto and Jack would be in for a world of pain. "No one is going to forget anything they don't want to. If some wants Retcon, they can have it, but only if they ask for it."

Ianto wanted to scream but he was unsure of what Jack would do if he did. "Oh, God what have I got myself into? You knew who I was this whole time, didn't you? This was part of your plan?" His voice shook as if these were his last seconds alive.

"I didn't know, but if I did I would have insisted that you come with me instead of waiting. I knew what ever Yvonne was up to would only lead to trouble. Those moments I thought you were dead I couldn't breathe. I thought there was no way you could be dead before we got our chance. I came here because I needed to see for myself that you were all right." Jack said with sincere honesty. "You were planning on coming to see me. That shows you think that what happened last month with us was not some flyby affair." Once Ianto closed his eyes, Jack could not tell if Ianto believed him. The Welshman's body was tense and unmoving.

It was almost two minutes before Ianto opened his eyes and let out a long resigned sigh. He had to process so much in a short time. Ianto was trapped naked under the man who could be the best or worst thing that ever happened to him. There was something in Jack's voice that won Ianto over. Something that told him that Jack was telling the truth. "It's almost like Romeo and Juliet. Two people from warring houses fall for each other and then chaos ensues."

Jack laughed softly. "I don't want that end for us."

Ianto rolled his eyes and offered a hint of a smile. "That's why I said almost." Ianto relaxed and expelled the tension from his body. "I don't plan on drinking any poison."

"I'm glad to hear that." Jack tempted fate with a kiss and was rewarded when Ianto responded and deepened the kiss.

"Is that offer of a job still on the table? It looks like I don't have one to go back to." Ianto smirked as he placed his hand on Jack's toned and smooth chest and slowly slid it down until he took Jack's soft cock into a firm grip, which did not stay soft for long.

"Interesting negotiation tactic." Jack grinned wildly. Ianto was smart and had him in a position where he could not say no, but he could question the other man's sanity for wanting to stay with a Torchwood after what he just went through.

"Is that a yes or no?" Ianto asked as his hand pumped, working Jack up.

Jack did not answer with words, not that he could speak if he wanted to. Ianto was very skilled with his one hand. A week later Jack helped Ianto pack his flat up and move into one in Cardiff. A month after that Ianto started his tenure as archivist and general support for Torchwood Three. The couple agreed to keep their relationship a secret, but they could not keep that Ianto worked for Torchwood One a secret.

Tosh mothered Ianto, afraid that Jack forced and/or manipulated Ianto into working for him. Ianto just let her believe what she wanted to, but Ianto found it was nice to have someone looking out for him.

Owen was indifferent to the newest hire until the doctor had a taste of Ianto's coffee and suddenly wanted to be best mates. One thing Ianto found odd, was that Owen had no recollection of finding Ianto's ID and papers in London. Later that night Jack explained that this was the only way for their relationship to remain a secret.

Susie wanted grill Ianto about the gruesomeness of Canary Wharf, but Jack scolded her and said she needed to keep her morbid curiosity away from Ianto.

As for Jack, he was well...Jack. He flirted mercilessly with Ianto whenever he had a chance, but Ianto was the picture of propriety when the others were around and rebuffed every attempt. However, when they were alone no rules existed and the team would be shocked to see the wild side of their quiet new coworker.

Life was getting back on track and Ianto was truly happy once again. As the days passed, he and Jack grew closer. Ianto had no doubts that he made the right choice with Jack even when Jack explained what and where he was from.

It was nearly four months before the couple exchanged I love yous. Well, their version of the declaration because neither wanted to be the first in case other did not return the sentiment.

The following night the heavens poured buckets as if it was never going to stop when the team went out to investigate a murder and a local PC saw more than she was supposed to and life was never going to be the same for Torchwood.

**The end...for now**.

**End a/n**: I know I'm being a little ambitious but I plan on trying to do a series rewrite in this 'verse. Who's on board for it?


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